Contestants participate in the roller pigeon contest at the Harrow Fair in Essex County.Facebook

Animal rights activists are crying fowl after a video of an Ontario fair game showing contestants bowling pigeons was posted on social media.

The video was shared on Facebook by Jo Bulm, who wrote about the carnival game in the caption of the post.

“Pigeon Bowling. Just one of the many inhumane activities the Harrow Fair puts on each year. More f—— up activities to come,” it read.

Bulm then declared: “This is a call to action”, and implored people to call the fair asking to stop using pigeons as bowling balls.

The Harrow Fair website describes the contest and the pigeons they use — roller pigeons — that are “a special breed of pigeon that are known for their acrobatic abilities.”

The roller pigeons “are the bowling balls of the avian world,” the description reads.

Also known as Parlour Tumblers, the pigeons are unable to fly but get around by somersaulting on the ground.

To win the game, a contestant bowls a pigeon and is judged on the distance the bird travels as well as the total number of somersaults.

“Watch them flip, flop and flap as they somersault over the ground like a bowling ball with wings,” the description reads.

Despite the justifications for the event, Bulm explained her contention in a more recent Facebook post writing: “It’s not the fact that the pigeons have an acrobatic-like ability — it’s our constant exploitation of animals for human entertainment that’s the issue.”

President of the Harrow Fair, Luke Korcok, did not immediately respond for comment.

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